School has started.

I just wanted to write and let you know what has been going on since our last update. We have been busy as usual. Jessica and I went to girls camp...me as the leader. It was a lot of work for me but hopefully the girls had fun and it will be memorable for them. Cody took the rest of the kiddos up to Idaho to visit family, go to the county fair, and to attend his 20 year H.S. reunion. That makes him sound like he is getting old...hehehe. They had a lot of fun visiting with famiy. Grandma Fowler treated the kids to a day on the rides and from my understanding they had a blast. And with the fair comes the fair parade and lots of candy. The week after camp and visiting Idaho we had family come visit with us. Tyler and Lacey, Kennedy, Regan, and Lincoln came to visit for a couple of days. My kids loved visiting with their cousins, aunt and uncle. Their favorite thing to do with them was to take them to the pond "Cattail Crossing" and catch frogs. We did try fishing, but the frogs were more entertaining and easier to catch. We had a lot of fun with them and were sad to see them go.
The kids actually started school on the 10th of Aug. It was had to get it all in with family here, but we just reduced our workload and got to have fun. As much as I really didn't mind homeschool I have had a couple of kids want to go back to public school. Nikki was the spearheader of that, she so much wanted to have friends and a social life, so she started on the 19th at Desert Sage Elementary in 5th grade. She took her testing at school and I think I got a compliment. The teacher, Mrs. Mares, said, "Nikki is doing really well for being homeschooled". Good thing I think her teacher is nice. Well, after much thought and especially seeing that Eli and Luke needed a change of pace I placed them in school with Nikki also. The boys start Monday. I tell you, it was a decision made with much thought and many tears. I pray they will have a positive experience. Jessica is still doing online school, but with encouragement from dad and mom she is also taking band at a local middle school. She has decided to take up the clarinet, and played us her first couple of notes the other day. She is thinking she wants to start attending public middle school next year. That will mean that her and Nikki will be together. So now, it is just Jess and I at home, I will no longer have an excuse for a messy home, so clean is the word. That is our life up to this day, we are now anxiously awaiting for Caleb to arrive. His due date is Sept. 9th, so we will see. There have been a couple of times we thought he was going to come early, but he has decided to stay in the comfort of the womb a little longer.